Working to ensure health care is available to Pennsylvania children, the General Assembly passed and the governor signed into law legislation to extend the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2015. The new law also eliminates the current six-month waiting period before a child can enroll in the program. CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance coverage for routine doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care and much more to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.
More than 188,000 children are currently enrolled in CHIP across the Commonwealth. For more information, click here. LINK: http://www.chipcoverspakids.com/

State House Votes to Cut Debt Ceiling

The House this week passed and sent on to the governor legislation that would reduce the debt ceiling for the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project (RACP) program. House Bill 493 will immediately reduce the RACP debt ceiling from the current $4.05 billion to $3.45 billion. The bill also makes a number of reforms to the program, specifically setting standards that must be met before a project can quality for funding. RACP provides grants to local communities for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic and historical improvement projects. The funding may be used for the design and construction of facilities that are economic development projects which generate substantial increases in employment, tax revenues or other measures of economic activity.

Bill to Protect Identity of 9-1-1 Callers Passes House

The House approved a measure to protect the privacy of individuals who dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. House Bill 1041 gives an exemption from the state’s Right-to-Know law for records containing identifying information to an individual calling a 911 center unless a court rules it would be in the public’s interest to disclose the information. The bill is designed to protect the identity of a caller to prevent cases of retribution against informants and to ensure the public has a sense of safety and privacy when reporting a crime or other emergency. House Bill 1041 now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Oct. 26 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Pennsylvania residents who have unwanted prescriptions and other medications in the home can have them properly discarded during the National Take Back Initiative on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Area locations participating in the event include:
• Pennsylvania State Police barracks, 14 Collan Park, Honesdale.
• Pennsylvania State Police barracks, 434 Route 402, Hawley.
• Pennsylvania State Police barracks, 113 Enforcer Lane, Swiftwater.
• Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, 2454 Route 940, Pocono Summit.
For a full list of collection sites, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/.